Domestic Disputes
by JustCoffeeThanks
Summary: Ah, bliss... Prominent moments in Kakashi and Iruka's relationship. Resonance Universe. Yaoi! Don’t like? Don’t read! Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

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**Chapter 1; Feline Persuasion **

Over the years they'd been together Iruka had come to realize exactly how cat like Kakashi was.

Despite how vehemently the man proclaimed to hate cats, (mostly because of how many Search-and-Rescue Missions he'd captained with Team Seven, searching for them... as well as a tragic personal story he used a henge to forget about,) this didn't stop the teacher from recognizing feline characteristics when he saw Kakashi.

Example;

Kakashi was rather low maintenance. He kept himself clean, unless he was unconscious or wounded. He kept to himself and wasn't one of those people who required constant attention or praise, though when he did get it he relished in it. He was terribly picky about what he ate, how and where he ate it. He didn't particularly like visitors, and when one would show up who he didn't appreciate being there, he would go and hide in the bedroom and simply refuse to come out, no matter how he was coaxed or tempted with treats. And, of course there were the strange places he liked to sit and read; on the ceiling, in the top spindly branches of a tree, perched precariously on the very edge of a gutter over a crowded street.

There was also the shedding… Iruka found stray little silver hairs all over the place. Mainly on his clothes and his couch. But no matter how many hairs he found, the hair on Kakashi's _head_ was always horribly full and thick, more like fur than hair in Iruka's opinion. Hair wasn't eerily soft like Kakashi's was, and hair didn't naturally just… DO that _THING_ where no matter how much it was brushed or styled when wet, it would dry in a fluffy lopsided way on his head. No amount of combing would make the silver mop behave. Although Kakashi did tend to enjoy just sprawling himself on the couch in a lanky, boneless way and letting Iruka brush him while he read porn aloud.

Iruka had a love-hate relationship with Kakashi's hair… He loved it because it was Kakashi's hair, and was always soft and pleasant feeling beneath his fingers. Almost addictive to touch… But it was frustrating to find it clinging to his clothing and the clothing of those who happened to sit on his couch.

And the final way Kakashi reminded Iruka of a cat, was how the man slept.

He didn't lay still, curled into a ball like his dogs. He didn't sleep on his side spooned against Iruka, or on his back like a normal person. No…

Kakashi sprawled… And God forbid there be a bit of sunlight on Iruka's side of the bed, because if Kakashi so much as _smelled it_ in his sleep his body would slink and slither until he was lying in it, arms perpendicular from his chest, legs out, cold feet right in the small of Iruka's back or the bends of his knees.

And when he was _really_ sleeping, _truly_ deeply _relaxing_, the man **KNEADED** things. Fingers and toes working, clutching and releasing anything they could manage to grasp. Hands curled into gentle, cute little paws.

Many times, Iruka would be woken by the feeling of Kakashi's 'paws' massaging his back, his body arching into the older man's pressure, mumbling sleepily how good it felt, while Kakashi dozed on obliviously.

Iruka took advantage of this quite often, and he'd even gone so far to escape Kakashi's chilly-feet-of-death but still reap the benefits of his kneading, that he'd bought the man fluffy socks for his birthday. And Kakashi, being a creature of self indulgence and little else, wore them because they did indeed feel soft and warm on his feet, and he didn't particularly give a shit what he looked like shuffling around the apartment in his underwear, a baggy stained t-shirt and a pair of violently pink fluffy socks.

His home was his sanctuary. The one place he could walk around without his mask, without regulation uniforms, and wear the disgusting, threadbare and moth eaten clothing he'd owned for years, or nothing at all.

Iruka didn't really mind Kakashi's resemblance of felines. He loved the man after all. From the tips of his unmanageable silver hair, to the ends of his fluffy sock clad toes. Even his annoying flaws and the little things that drove him absolutely insane. Iruka loved it all.

Because for every irritating thing, every flaw, there were ten things Kakashi did that were sickeningly sweet, kind and just plain cute.

So, Iruka didn't really mind all the oddities, the picky eating habits, the loud recitations of pornography where Kakashi actually changed the tone of his voice for each different character. He didn't mind the shedding, or the kneading, because it was worth it. Every smile, every devious grin or sly shift of his eyes, every kind word or warm embrace; Every time he came home from a tough day at the academy or the mission room and found Kakashi was back safe and sound from a mission, had cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, and cooked dinner. (Or ordered take away.) **AND** was offering to give him a back rub, Iruka felt that warm swell in his chest and five words would echo in his head with stronger resolve than the day before.

_'God, I love this man…'_

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	2. Chapter 2

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**Chapter 2; Chores**

Getting Kakashi to risk life and limb for the village was quite easy. But, getting him to, oh, I don't know, pick up the toilet brush and give the bowl a once over, was like pulling fucking teeth.

_No,_ Iruka growled in his throat. _Pulling teeth was infinitely easier_

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	3. Chapter 3

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**Chapter 3; Chuunin Exam**

Every year, around this time, Iruka became a rather broody, ill-tempered individual.

Kakashi had learned, after that fateful first year he'd known Iruka, and their loud argument over the subject, that Chuunin Examination was a time when Iruka was imply NOT to be messed with.

Iruka was very rarely so irritable unless he was sick and that was just different.

So, Kakashi took it as a personal mission during the month long Prep and Exam period, and tried to make life easier for his lover, tried to ease his worry, frustration and self doubt.

He kept his out-loud porn reading to a minimum in the teacher's presence. He tried not to take missions that would end with him bedridden and helpless. And he tried multiple times a day to make the man smile and laugh. Though, his humor was decidedly more lewd than Iruka's he still managed to sometimes get a chuckle between head bashings.

And when it came time for the exams themselves, Kakashi was always up for spying with the chuunin. Lying on rooftops henged into potted plants, or pigeons, staring in through windows, trying to draw the attention of the proctors away from Iruka while the man checked on his students.

After all, he could brush off reprimands quite easily while Iruka often took them personally and sulked for days after, making Kakashi's sex life practically non existent.

There was even once, about three years before, when he'd henged himself into a mouse and been able to slip into the room under the door, simply to appease Iruka's worried curiosity. (The chuunin was too afraid to go in himself, scared he would get caught or stomped on, or in some way influence his students and give false test results.)

Too bad Ibiki had been standing right in front of the door at the time and looked down to see the furry little Kakashi sitting on his left boot reading a miniature Icha Icha.

Now, Ibiki hadn't really noticed the little book, and if he had the next thing that happened, probably wouldn't have happened, but then again, Ibiki's one weakness was mice, so he might have done it anyway just to be mean.

He'd been tortured with rats as a younger man, his captors letting starving red eyed vermin chew his wounds while he was tied down to a table. So, it was completely understandable, his hatred of them. But, Kakashi never really was one for respecting another's boundaries.

MouseKakashi had looked up with a bored expression on his whiskered little white face, creating the distraction while MouseIruka scampered helplessly around outside the door pulling at his fur because Kakashi was an idiot and didn't he know that there was a _barrier_ on the room alerting the proctors to anyone or anything that came through?

And Ibiki?

Ibiki had looked down, caught the mismatched pink and black eyes of the little MouseKakashi, and released an effeminate shriek. Kicked, and sent MouseKakashi and his little Icha-Icha sailing through the air, over the heads of terrified, owl eyed gennin, and right out one of the short windows near the ceiling.

MouseKakashi had seen his life flash before buggy little eyes. The scale of the village dramatically enlarged in his smaller body, making the shorter distance of fifty feet he was actually falling from, seem more like five hundred. Vertigo overtook him and in a moment of panic he just stayed in freefall before he was able to shake himself out of it, stick his little book between his teeth, and henge himself back into a man mere seconds before he hit the street, tumbling end over end through a stall selling fresh eggs and lunch time omelets, and hit the wall hard doubled up with his ass in the air and his book choking the life out of him.

MouseIruka, had by that time, transformed back into himself and was running out of the building eyes wide, somehow managing to still have a cute mousey tail protruding from the back of his pants as he'd rolled his lover over and righted him, pulling by the front of his vest as they'd run down the street. Ibiki shouting profanities and threats at their backs.

Kakashi remembered all of this with a half wince, half smile, because as amusing as it was, once returning home he'd had to shower, scrubbing the reddened, blistering portions of his skin where egg had splattered, and grind his teeth while Iruka broke out an EpiPen so he didn't choke to death when his throat started tightening up.

There were times in his life, such as that moment, that Kakashi hated having allergies. Especially allergies that could kill him…

But one good thing had come out of it. The next day neither of them could walk straight or sit without wincing, so there was no need to go sticking their noses in the exams.

This year however...

THIS year, Kakashi _knew_ something bad was going to happen, something very— VERY bad… Because somehow, during the random draw for proctors… Kakashi's name had been pulled.

Every year prior to this, he'd been able to press the slip of paper he'd scrawled his henohenomoheji on into a crack in the wooden box, which kept it pinned tightly to the bottom where it was practically impossible to come loose.

He supposed after years of doing this, maybe a few of the slips had come free… Or Karma was just being a big ol' bitch again.

As soon as the messenger arrived and handed over the red and gold scroll, giving Kakashi a quick bow, Iruka's chakra had spiked, and snake like tendrils had started lashing out, 'tasting' Kakashi.

On the outside, Iruka's demeanor hadn't changed one single bit where he was sitting at his desk methodically grading essays. But, Kakashi had been with the man for almost ten years now, and he KNEW when Iruka was plotting something. KNEW when that seemingly pleasant little smile was actually a cunning smirk.

Kakashi tittered helplessly, feeling sweat rolling down his face and neck as he'd fingered the scroll like an activated exploding tag. Gingerly, trying to keep it completely immobile and shielded from any and all subtle vibrations of chakra or sound.

Oh, he was a dead man… Such a very—Very dead man…

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	4. Chapter 4

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**Chapter 4; Caring— Part 1**

Naruto found out on a Monday morning.

It wasn't that he'd had any inkling that it was happening right under his nose, because he was sadly oblivious when it came to love and attraction. His senses on some level, still overflowing with pink and the need to meld it with gold. So it really shouldn't have surprised him that he'd not known it was happening.

Naruto woke up on that Monday morning in early June with the deep set knowledge in his heart that Kakashi and Iruka were dating.

More than that...

Kakashi and Iruka were _sleeping_ together.

Somewhere deep inside him, Kyuubi laughed and shouted profanities at him, saying that he was as dense as the bars holding him in this cell.

Naruto sprang out of bed and yanked on his pants, completely forgetting the tattered walrus hat on his head as he slammed his feet into his sandals snatched up his red and black coat and ran from his home.

The sun hadn't even risen yet, but that didn't stop the blonde from stomping all the way across the village and pounding his fist on Kakashi's apartment door.

"COME OUT OF THERE, YOU BASTARD! I _KNOW _WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO HIM!"

_BANG BANG BANG!_

"COME **OUT!"**

He knew Kakashi was in there. He could feel him, the red hued tendrils of Naruto's chakra sliding under the apartment door and latching onto Kakashi's own pale white energies.

It was then that he realized Iruka-sensei was in there too, hiding his presence. He could feel the subdued, cloaked rich navy of the man's chakra and the orange smears in it as his anger rose.

He banged on the door again, spitefully, his face twisted into a pouting scowl of hatred.

"COME OUT, BASTARD!"

Locks clicked back, and traps eased open—

Naruto found himself looking directly into Iruka-sensei's rather bored, flushed face.

He had beads of sweat on his brow, and was clutching a sheet closed where it hung low and loose around his waist.

All his rage suddenly poofed away and Naruto felt his eyes widen in horror and surprise, peering up at Iruka like a small wide-eyed child, despite the fact he was now almost eighteen and stood only a little under an inch of Iruka's height.

"Naruto."

"Y-yes, sensei?"

Iruka took a deep breath and let it out slowly, in a controlled, annoyed hiss. "If you call me a bastard again, I'll—"

Naruto waved his hands, eyes round in horror; "NO NO NO! NOT **YOU!** I'd never call _you_ a bastard, Iruka-sensei! I meant Kaka-baka!" He pointed into the apartment where Kakashi was lying on his stomach in the mattress, arms folded under his head, hiding his bare face. Praying the violent jut of his finger was evidence of his complete disdain and hatred.

The silver haired man's eyes curved upward in a grin and he flipped two fingers in Naruto's direction. His feet wagged in the air, and to Naruto he resembled some teen-aged girl lying in a field of flowers day-dreaming about their crush.

It was quite disturbing.

"Kaka-hentai has no business molesting you, Iruka-sensei! He's a dirty old man! Why did you pick him! WHY!"

Iruka's fingers drummed on the doorframe, his hip cocking as he shifted his weight on his feet. He was quiet for a minute, licking his teeth, eyes becoming unfocused as he thought carefully on what he was going to say.

Naruto's shoulders suddenly slumped and his eyes squinted with displeasure, mouth drawing down in a severe pout, despaired rage bubbling in his belly again; "You've seen his face, haven't you."

Iruka's eyes flicked upward and the very corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly into a devious little smirk.

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	5. Chapter 5

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**Chapter 5; Retirement**

Kakashi came home from the hospital on Thursday. It was raining, so the transfer was rather quick, no parading through town in a wheelchair, as much as Naruto had hoped, there was simply Iruka settling Kakashi in the chair, the older man's legs propped on the foot rests, toes bare and oddly dumb looking protruding from the ends of casts, holding the light pack that held his medication, spare clothes and that damned orange fleece blanket with the Icha-Icha logo printed in a slightly lighter shade on it, that he'd insisted Iruka go home and fetch not long after the teacher had appeared the Saturday before, _'Because it's a proven fact that bright colors and familiar items help speed up recovery time!'_

Iruka hated it when Kakashi spouted fact amid his thinly veiled sarcasm.

As soon as Kakashi was settled, grumbling that he was feeling a peculiar draft, and was Iruka sure the sheet was completely covering him back there? Iruka smiled and kissed the top of his head. Focusing his energy, syncing it with Kakashi's, he teleported them right into their living room.

The Pack was there, the newer members leaping around barking loudly and laughing. Kakashi pushed them away gently saying over and over that he was OK, and dammit Chohiro, that had better not be a piddle under the coffee table!

The little dappled wiener dog tucked his tail, large brown eyes wide and mournful, and he puffed away in a flash of smoke.

Iruka chuckled and pushed Kakashi toward the bedroom, ignoring how the man leaned far to the side, still calling instructions to his dogs over his shoulder, waving his hand around and twisting his other arm in its sling, trying to get the larger dogs to save him from what could only be an unsavory and entirely too boring convalescence locked away in the bedroom.

Iruka already had the bed turned down, numerous pillows stacked strategically on the mattress in a pattern he knew Kakashi liked to sleep in… Mainly imitating a staple with his arms and legs out.

Though for someone who normally loved staying in bed for hours with his lover, Kakashi was being rather objectionable.

"But, Ruka! I've been in bed for a WEEK already! Isn't that long enough?" He whined, grabbing at things trying to distract the teacher.

"Sakura said you were to stay in bed until Tuesday and let your chakra recover. She only let you come home early so she could have a valid reason to keep Naruto out of the hospital and out of her hair."

Kakashi groaned and went limp, which didn't help Iruka in his endeavors to move his lover from the chair to the bed one bit. "Which means that by lunch time, the apartment will be swarming with Anbu and Uzumakis…"

"Yep."

Raising his hand weakly and letting it flop about on a limp wrist Kakashi hissed out in a distressed, almost nonexistent feeble voice. "Get me to bed… I'm too delicate to handle this madness."

Iruka almost dropped him his laughing fit was so intense. And he ended up holding Kakashi under the arms, the man's plaster encased right leg still on the foot rest, Kakashi's behind on the floor.

"Your bedside manner leaves much to be desired, Ru…"

Kakashi was still grumbling when Iruka managed to get him into the bed, making sure his legs were arranged in as comfortable a position as he could get.

Kakashi's right leg was fully casted, from foot to hip, a fracture in his femur and two in his tibia. His left leg had gotten off easier, a rather simple break between knee and ankle. Not as bad as it could have been, but bad enough.

For a long few minutes Iruka sat at his hip staring at him. Relieved and still slightly disbelieving that it was over. Kakashi had officially retired.

No more sleepless nights, no more sitting by his hospital bedside while his lover barely clung to his life.

Kakashi looked up at him with a sour, pouting look on his masked face, his lower lip poking out the dark fabric comically. "Why are you crying… You're not the one who was dropped on his sore ass."

Iruka chuckled under his breath and wiped his eyes; "And why, exactly is your ass sore? I know for a fact it's not my fault."

"You try staying in bed for a week, your ass'll get sore too. And this damned cast is causing me to chafe… Maybe you should get Sakura-chan to heal me and then we—"

Iruka was opening his mouth to speak, but at that moment there was a knock on the door.

Kakashi moaned loudly pulling the blanket over his eyes; "Tell them I'm dead!"

Patting his lover's uninjured shoulder, he stood and walked to the front door, pausing long enough to take a deep breath, and push those thin graying wisps of hair behind his ear.

The door was no sooner unlocked than Iruka found himself surrounded, tiny arms squeezing around his knees and hips, squealing little voices.

"OJIICHAN!"

His heart swelled and he touched each head fondly then looked up into a broadly grinning face.

"How is the Old Man, Iruka-sensei?"

Naruto, oddly enough, hadn't really changed that much over the years. Save a greater sense of paranoia and responsibility.

His height had evened off at just an inch below Iruka's own. He was slender but well built. His hair grown longer and pulled back at the nape of his neck. He'd traded in his all orange suit for Jounin blacks, a red and black long coat, and almost always wore a white belted tunic Hinata had made for him with thin orange flames around the cuffs.

He was still loud and at times could be dense, but he'd grown considerably, into a well rounded competent man.

"Naruto, don't just stand there blocking the doorway, I'm sure these nice young men would like to get out of the rain." Hinata lifted a dainty little hand and flipped his ear.

He winced, cupping a hand over the spot and pouted at her. "Yes, Ma'am…"

Hinata, Iruka decided. Had changed the most.

Since the loss of her father in the final battle, she'd lost that tentative, self conscious streak. Not to say she still wasn't shy, because she was. But she was also a strong woman who wasn't afraid to stand up for those she loved. She could be quite intimidating when she needed to be. And other times, like now, she could be the calm, sweet mothering type that had the whole village eating from the palm of her hand.

The five Anbu guards near them in their rain cloaks shifted uncomfortably on their feet scratching their necks.

There were only four people in the whole village who dared push their Hokage about; Hinata, Sakura, and the two men who lived in this very apartment.

And Hinata was the only one he listened to without grumbling or threatening.

Naruto stepped inside when Iruka and his burden shuffled backward, and kicked off his sandals, offering Hinata a hand to balance her (as if she needed it) as she removed her own, offering to hold the baby she had in her arms.

As the Anbu filtered in one by one, Iruka turned his attention to the brood still clinging to him, giggling whenever he tried to move.

Over the last eleven years, since their marriage, Naruto and Hinata had had eight children. Most of them multiples; two sets of twins, a set of triplets and then their last, Hinata had ushered Naruto to the hospital for the procedure* herself after she'd discovered the pregnancy.

The eldest twins, nine years old, were Amaya and Atsuko. Identical girls that looked almost exactly like Hinata, save their vulpine grins and energetic attitude. Iruka shivered at the idea of having them in his class.

Next, at six years old, were Izumi and their first son Yuki. Izumi was a very pale child with the classic Hyuuga looks, and she also the most timid of the Uzumaki family. She usually hid behind her mother's or her father's leg, but her brother had been born with Naruto's outgoing attitude and oddly enough, bright red hair.

After the birth Kakashi confirmed that this trait wasn't unusual, since Naruto's own mother had sported that same color, and that this explained why all the children had been born with Byakugan, because it was dominant in their genetics.

And then, at three years old, there were The Triplets.

Katsumi, Hotaru and Hitomi. Katsumi took after Hinata in every way it seemed, save her since of humor, that child underneath her timid mask, was a prankster that made Iruka proud. Hotaru was Katsumi's partner in crime, and though she was a little slow at times, she took to things very quickly. And then there was Hitomi. Who, by some odd genetic fluke, had been born with Byakugan, like all her siblings. But her eyes were not the usual pale lavender, but bright, bright blue.

And last, but certainly not least, was the six month old Yuudai. A plump little pink cheeked baby with bright blonde hair.

Iruka was glad Naruto could make so many shadow clones sometimes. Because taking care of eight children was hard. He was sure Hinata appreciated all the help.

"Ojiichan!" Yuki pulled on his shirt, grinning widely up at him. "Ojiichan, look what I can do!"

Naruto turned, teeth bared, eyes wide and rolled up to the whites; "YUKI, _NO!"_

**_POOF!_**

From the bedroom Kakashi heard someone choke followed by a few loud thumps and childish giggles, and Naruto groaning loudly.

"W-when… W-what!" Hinata stuttered quickly and not a second later there were loud, sharp slapping noises.

"Ow, OUCH! Hin- _OUCH!_ Hinata-chan! **OW!**"

"Don't you 'ow' me! Where did he learn _that!"_

"He must have picked it up off the road of life!"

Kakashi heard Iruka growl deeply, and suddenly children were laughing loudly and Naruto was whining.

"OW! Not you too, Iruka sens- _OUCH!"_

One of the hooded Anbu slipped into the room and Kakashi blinked at him, watching with detached amusement as the smooth Sheep mask lifted to reveal Naruto's worried face.

"Do you think they'll be more angry when they find out that Konohamaru taught it to him, or that they're beating up a modified shadow clone."

"You have to teach me that jutsu sometime… It could come in really handy."

Naruto beamed; "It's saved my ass a couple times already!"

"I'd switch back awful quick if I were you though, weren't you telling me just last week that Hinata's pinches were the only thing you'd come across so far that could pop them?"

Glancing out the door at the ruckus, Naruto made a blur of hand signs and Kakashi was alone in the room again.

"Yuki-chan, please don't do that jutsu, I thought we talked about this…"

"But Kono-sensei said you taught him when he was my age."

Naruto sighed audibly. "I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass… I _knew_ it."

Hinata sighed her voice conveying much annoyance, but also much love. "Naruto…"

Iruka clapped his hands; "Well… Who wants Mochi? The Ninkin said I was to make some special."

"ME!" "OJIICHAN, I WANT SOME!" "ME TOO!" "ME! ME!"

"You made mochi, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto's voice sounded quite chipper now.

Oh, how Kakashi envied his ability to be completely defeated one moment, and on top of the world the next.

He shifted, nestling down amid the blankets and pillows, sighing in a deep way that only someone who was smugly comfortable can manage.

His comfort though, was short lived, because a few minutes later, almost like a cartoon, or a Three Stooges film… Little heads popped around the doorframe staring at him with pinched, silent mouths and pale luminescent eyes, bits of mochi and sweet bean paste stuck to the corners of lips.

Kakashi feigned sleep, head turned to the side, face slack beneath his mask, breathing slow and even.

Six sets of little feet padded quietly across the floor.

_They get quieter every time… _

Their chakra flickered wildly with emotion and Kakashi couldn't help but grin, his attempts of keeping a straight face foiled by harmonizing giggles and the tingling sensation of little fingers creeping closer and closer to his face.

At the very last second before those sticky little fingers could catch the fabric of his mask, Kakashi opened his eye; "Maaa, It's not nice to sneak up on sleeping old men… Especially sleeping old men who can't defend themselves against mini-nin."

Izumi gasped and darted away, Yuki waved his arms chasing after his twin; "GAH! I TOLD YOU HE WAS AWAKE!"

Katsumi poked out her tongue and propped her little fists on her hips. And Atsuko piped up with a sweet dimpled little smile; "Ojiichan wants to know if you want some tea and mochi."

"Yes, please."

The throng fluttered away on soft little feet, leaving Kakashi alone—Well, not quite alone.

Hotaru was climbing up onto the bed by his feet, pushing the blankets up to his shins and poking at his casts with the deftness and curiosity of any three-year-old.

"They hurt?"

He grunted and tilted his head to look at her.

She looked up, pushing a lock of shoulder length hair behind her ear gazing up at him with pale nervous eyes; "Do your legs hurt terribly?"

"Ah… They ache a bit."

She nodded and counted his toes, silent for a few moments. "When I shut my finger in the door once it hurt terribly." She held up her finger for his inspection. "Otousan kissed it better though… It doesn't hurt now." She smiled brightly and her head turned to the side in that sweet innocent way of hers; "Should 'Tousan kiss you better, Obaachan?"

Kakashi had never _liked_ the nickname, but seethe about it in private he might, he would never tell them to stop… It was better than 'Kaka-jii' any day in his opinion.

"No, 'Tousan doesn't need to kiss me better," He chuckled. "I don't think it would work on me anyway… He's not my 'Tousan."

She nodded and was quiet for a few breaths; "I'm glad you're OK, Obaachan… I miss you when you go away." She counted his toes one more time, a compulsion he'd noticed she had picked up from overhearing Naruto greeting people.

Whenever the blonde commented on someone's return from a dangerous mission, or when seeing them for the first time after a while, he would say; _'Still have all ten fingers and toes? AH, good then, no harm done!'_

He watched her for a while counting each way she reminded him of Hinata, each way she reminded him of Naruto, and each way she reminded him of Minato-sensei and Kushina… Then mentally shaking his head, because despite the similarities, she was indeed her own little person, just like all of Naruto and Hinata's children.

"'Taru, 'Tousan is going to eat your mochi!" Hitomi shouted desperately.

The girl gasped and leapt from the bed, feet thudding as she ran down the hall, pointing emphatically with a little pale finger. _"BAKA!_ BACK AWAY FROM MY MOCHI!"

Settling deeper into the bed, Kakashi found himself smiling as his eyes drifted shut.

Maybe retirement wasn't such a bad thing…

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* 'The Procedure' = Vasectomy

F) Amaya _9_ = night rain

F) Atsuko _9_ = kind child

F) Izumi _6_ = Fountain

M) Yuki _6_ = Snow

F) Katsumi _3_ = Victorious beauty

F) Hotaru _3_ = Lightening Bug

F) Hitomi_ 3_ = Pupil (of the eye) Beautiful Eye

M) Yuudai _6 months_ = Glorious Hero

Otousan or 'Tousan = Father, Dad

Ojiichan = Grandpa

Obaachan = Grandma

Kaka-jii = Old Man Kaka

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	6. Chapter 6

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**Chapter 6; Offspring**

_(Not what you think. Trust me)_

There was certain protocol during emergency situations at Konoha Hospital.

If it bleeds it leads… But if its nin, bring them in.

Unless it was a life threatening situation with a civilian, nin were cared for first.

But, Sakura didn't think that THIS qualified as a 'Dire Emergency'.

Kakashi was fine. He wasn't bleeding, his chakra was normal, the only thing that seemed to be wrong with him was the stripe of his face above his mask and below his hairline, was tinged an unhealthy green color, and he was clutching desperately to a waste bin he'd obviously confiscated from below the exam room sink, from which a sour sick scent wafted.

Sakura blinked at him when she came into the room. Irritation building with every passing second.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did you tell Mitsuko that this was a 'life or death situation'? You're not hurt, you're chakra's not even overly low."

He gave a shiver, and made a wet snuffing noise through what sounded like a runny nose. "Close the door and come here."

She shook her head but did as he asked, standing about a foot from him with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

He snuffed again, lifted a hand and swiped beads of sweat from his forehead. "I think I'm pregnant."

A shock went through her and she stumbled back a step; "W-what?"

He sighed, eyes closing and shifted where he sat on the end of the exam table. "I'm showing all the symptoms of being pregnant."

"You're a guy, Kakashi-sensei… You can't get pregnant."

"Male seahorses get pregnant."

"Yes, but you're not a seahorse."

"Then how do you explain this?" He moved the waste bin from in front of him, and Sakura blinked absently at his stomach.

Nothing looked abnormal.

"Look, Kakashi-sensei… Maybe you're just constipated, or have food poisoning—"

"I'm not constipated."

"Well, I really don't think you're pregnant either… And how do I explain what? Your stomach looks fine."

He paused, blinked; "Oh, really?" And laid down on his back, flat on the table.

And there it was.

His stomach was indeed protruding… A perfectly formed little BUMP.

Sakura stared at it, and cautiously approached, her eyes wide.

"I'm not an idiot, Sakura… I'm actually quite knowledgeable when it comes to the processes of my own body. Spending years in and out of this place kind of forced that upon me. And using this knowledge, I've surmised that my symptoms are pointing, with terrifyingly little alternative that I know of, at pregnancy. All I want you to do is use your much greater knowledge of all things medical and tell me if I'm wrong, so we can find out what's going on."

Sakura nodded, her eyebrows drawn down in a serious manner, and shook her hands out as she closed the distance between them.

She mumbled something about how she couldn't believe this was happening, and just wait until Tsunade heard about this one; as she pushed Kakashi's shirt up, and nudged his waistband lower on his hips.

She took a moment to visually inspect the little bump below his belly button before she placed her hands together, hovering above it, and centered herself.

Kakashi watched her, feeling that warm tingling sensation of chakra washing over him… And almost jumped out of his skin when Sakura's hands came against his stomach with an audible sharp skin-on-skin noise and she lowered her face to within eight inches of him, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

"What?" He lifted himself up on his elbows, peering at her with his brow wrinkled.

She lifted her head, gaped at him, and looked at his stomach again.

"K-kakashi-sensei, you're pregnant…" She spluttered disbelievingly, her head shaking slightly from side to side. "A-about twenty-four weeks actually…"

He chuckled stupidly; "You're a terrible actor… Too much head movement."

She slowly turned to him, her eyes still impossibly wide, her face pale. "I'm serious."

Eighteen weeks later found Kakashi in the hospital waking up from surgery to a pink faced, shrieking infant with brown eyes and unruly silver ha—

Kakashi blinked up into the darkness of his bedroom ceiling, his breath coming in quick jerks. He was completely still for a long while, just taking in his surroundings.

He wasn't in the hospital. He was in his bed. The warm press of Iruka's back was to his left side, the wall to his right…

And his hands were tight against his own stomach, feeling the smooth flat stretch of flesh, not the solid bulge he was almost certain would be there.

He inhaled, the sound trembling, and his right hand slipped from beneath the blankets to cover his face. Startled when he encountered moisture leaking from both eyes.

Iruka shifted in his sleep mumbling something about onions, and Kakashi tried to control his breathing. Deepening it, slowing, feigning sleep so his lover didn't sense his distress and wake to find him crying over a stupid dream.

_Stupid dream…_

Kakashi rolled over, pressing his back against Iruka's, his arms twisted tightly around his middle, knees drawn up as he tried to forget, tried to squeeze out the phantom sensation of movement, of fullness.

Tried to ignore how hollow he felt when he realized it had only been a dream… And that if anyone knew he wished it hadn't been, they would think he was a freak. Think he was even more of a sick pervert than they already did.

He rubbed his face on his sleeve to dry it, pushed his face deeper into his pillow, and tried to go back to sleep.

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	7. Chapter 7

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_**(Sorry this took so long! This chapter talks about intimacy, just warning you.)**_

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**Chapter 7; Caring—Part 2**

Iruka took Naruto out for ramen.

It wasn't a rare occurrence, at least once a week they met, talked and ate together. But this time was different. This time, Naruto did very little but stare at Iruka with a rather despondent look on his face, and Iruka did very little other than stare into his bowl and scratch nervously at the bridge of his nose.

"At least tell me who's Uke…" Naruto said in a helpless voice. "Because if he's one of THOSE Semes, I'll have to tear it off!" He thumped his fist on the table, his bowl rattling.

Iruka could have groaned and hidden amid the twists and curls of his noodles like a kernel of corn at that moment.

"Uke and Seme? Naruto where the hell have you gotten your information!" He rubbed his face, trying to press the vibrant color from it.

Naruto seemed to flinch, his skin going positively green, then bright red; "You try being on a team with Sakura-chan for seven years and not know something about yaoi."

Iruka sighed; "Naruto… This isn't a teen girl's story book… This is two men in a serious and complicated relationship."

"Just tell me… Does he force you? Does it hurt when he—"

"Damnit, will you stop that!" He looked up his eyes wide and pulsing; "It isn't _like_ that!"

Naruto spluttered, not convinced.

"Look… He and I care for one another very deeply… We love each other… There is no Seme. There is no Uke. It's just the two of us in a loving and caring relationship."

"Oh… So you don't have sex?"

It was Iruka's turn to splutter. He lowered his voice and tried to hide the redness in his face; "Yes, Naruto, we have sex…"

Naruto was silent for a few seconds. Then he began to fidget, his face screwing up into an expression that reminded Iruka of a time when he'd still had the blonde in his class, years ago, and the boy had developed a rather bad case of diarrhea right in the middle of a lecture.

He felt one of his eyebrows lift in response. "What is it?"

His face gone pink, Naruto shook his head; "I just don't understand how you can sit down or walk straight after… Doesn't it hurt?"

Deflating, Iruka pushed his noodles back, his appetite vanishing. "Okay… I want you to think about everything you learned from Sakura-chan's yaoi collection."

The blonde nodded.

"Now, I want you to put it in a box in your head, tape the box up really tight. Put it into another box, tape that one up too, gift wrap it. Put on a nice little bow… And punt it right out your ear. Understand?"

Naruto blinked at him cluelessly.

"A real relationship. A REAL homosexual relationship, very rarely ever mirrors a yaoi manga… Alright? Not only would one become incontinent and horrifically sore from the constant abuse, but it's likely you could tear or rupture your partner's bowels, and believe me… That isn't something I would wish on anybody!"

"So you don't really let him put his… His _thing_ in you?"

Iruka blushed. "His 'Thing', Naruto? Honestly? His _'Thing'?"_

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Iruka sighed and rubbed his brow; "I don't want you to go spouting off about it like Sai-kun does… But, at least use the proper term… Honestly, 'THING'?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry… Just— God… Uh." He looked around, drumming up the courage to continue speaking; "Okay…" He looked the blonde square in the eye, trying not to wince as he spoke; "Yes, we've had penetrative sex before… But it's not a common occurrence. Anal penetration really isn't all that comfortable, and outside of manga, it really isn't that common either. It's a very messy process that takes lots of preparation—"

"You mean stretching? He does prepare you first, right?"

"Naruto."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Sorry, sensei…"

With a deep breath, he continued. Voice low and quiet, hoping he wasn't overheard by anyone else in the stall.

"I'll admit it, ok… Yes! When it's done right, when it's done GENTLY, it feels good. But, I'm not really on the receiving end that often WHEN we do that."

And Naruto's mouth dropped open, his eyes gone as large as his bowl.

"You… Iruka-sensei… You've… To _Kakashi-sensei!"_

"Yes."

"He lets you do that!"

Iruka scoffed indignantly; "More like insists actually…"

Had a breeze come through the door Naruto surely would have been carried away by it.

After a few moments he shook his head to clear it and leaned far over the table almost getting into Iruka's face. "But he's so tough!"

"And I'm not?" He glowered, baring his teeth.

"It's not _that…_ Kakashi-sensei is just taller, and older, a-and not as emotional as you… I just assumed he was the one… You know."

"That has nothing to do with our preferences! It's a joint venture, Naruto. No one person is 'In Charge'. Yes, we sometimes take turns or play games… But, it's really not like that all the time. Sex is about working together, about partnership and expressing your love for one another. It shouldn't be a power struggle… That just takes all the fun out of it."

"Okay, so if you don't do THAT all the time… How DO you do it?" He looked suddenly eager.

Iruka hesitated, shifted in his seat and leaned closer to Naruto; "May I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course."

"Have you had sex?"

After a moment, he shook his head and looked away at the floor. "I've never even had a girlfriend, Iruka-sensei…" He motioned to his stomach; "It's not like they line up, you know?"

Iruka nodded sympathetically. "Okay… First off, about your question…" He took a drink of his tea, cringing because it had gone cold; "It's really none of your damned business… _But,_ because I care about you, and should you find someone you'd ever want to try it with, I'd rather you be prepared… And yes, that includes stretching." He chuckled at the blush working its way up Naruto's neck. "It is possible to be intimate in a satisfying and fulfilling way without penetration… Touch. Kiss, _rub,_ for god's sake… How else are you going to find out what feels good. You don't jump head first into battle without at least a semblance of a plan, you train first. You _practice!"_

Naruto had gone bright red under his tan.

"What is it?"

"If I didn't know any better, sensei… I'd swear you just told me t-to m-masturbate."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that… But, Naruto, really. You're almost eighteen, you've done nothing but spend your life working and training…" He finished his cold tea and folded his hands on the table. "You need to get out and have some fun once and a while."

The blonde looked up anxiously, his face scrunched up unpleasantly.

"I'm not telling you to go out and screw the first girl or boy you see… But, you really need to gain some experience in this department…" He went quiet for a few moments, thinking, then cocked his head. "Naruto, if I set you up with someone, would you like to go on a double date with Kakashi and me?"

The blonde was suddenly very pale, staring upward as if expecting some kind of harsh punishment or other unsavory thing to happen.

"G-go on a double date with my teachers?"

Iruka smiled crookedly; "Now, I know for a fact you passed the chuunin exam this past year. I'm not your teacher anymore. We're equals."

He looked uncomfortable with the idea, but nodded, his voice sounding surprisingly reluctant; "Okay…"

"Alright… Would you prefer a girl or a boy?"

"I-uh…" He fidgeted, "I just like people, Iruka-sensei… It doesn't really matter."

"Alright, that makes it much easier…" He sighed and lightly kicked the blonde under the table. "Hey… You're acting like I've just sent you on a suicide mission! It's just a date. It's not something to write your eulogy over."

"Okay…"

He still didn't look any better.

"Are you OK with the idea of me being with Kakashi, now? Or do you have more questions."

He nodded slowly, scratching nervously at the back of his neck; "I-I guess I'm OK with it… It'll just take some getting used to, I guess… Does Sakura-chan know?"

"I don't think so… Not yet." Iruka rubbed his face and leaned far back in his chair, his spine popping loudly as he stretched. "I'm going to need a long while to think before I try to talk to her…"

"Oh… Well… When you do talk to her, don't tell her right away that you've topped him… You might break her brain."

Iruka chuckled; "Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

They were silent for a moment, Naruto plunging his index finger into the middle of his cold ramen and stirring, using some little jutsu or another that he'd picked up from God only knew where, to reheat it. Slurping it down quickly once it was hot enough. He was halfway done, munching happily on a piece of pork, when he seemed to twitch and he glanced up eagerly.

"Okay, so Yaoi isn't entirely true, that's alright… But, what does it look like?"

Iruka felt his stomach lurch; "Uh… W-what does_ what _look like?"

Naruto pounded the table again; "His face! What does his face look like! Don't deny it! I know you've seen it!"

"He's very handsome."

Naruto stared at him, a noodle hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Iruka ordered more tea.

"That's _it?_ Come ON, Iruka-sensei! You've got to give me a better description than _that!"_

"Why? It's true. That's exactly what he looks like."

Naruto made a disbelieving noise and started shoveling noodles into his mouth again, mumbling; "I bet you're lying… I bet he's really ugly and you're just saying that to mess with me."

"I thought he made you a deal when you passed the chuunin exam— That if you could find where he hid those little bells of his, he'd show you."

He scoffed again; "He probably buried them, the bastard… Or keeps them in his mouth— He doesn't keep them in his mouth, does he?"

"Nope, sorry."

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	8. Chapter 8

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_(I decided to start putting up, like warnings I guess. Because I don't write these in age order…)_

_(This is how Kakashi and Iruka ended up getting together in the Resonance Universe. Happens about halfway through the time-skip. Kakashi has just turned 29 and isn't too happy about it... Two, maybe three parts.)_

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**Chapter 8; Meetings— Part 1**

It was a punch.

Iruka had been at the ramen stand scarfing down his lunch in a manner that would have made Naruto proud. Grumbling bitterly to himself because he'd had to take drastic measures that morning with one of his students.

Obotsu Ioshi, a pre-gennin, had pinned his classmate, a younger girl classmate, to the ground during lunch break and started hitting her about the head and face, calling her terrible names.

Now Iruka, who didn't tolerate such things, had dashed over, grabbed Ioshi up by the collar of his shirt and promptly expelled him.

Iruka had only ever expelled one student before. His first year teaching without an older teacher as a guide there had been a girl named Mio who had made a primitive exploding tag while Iruka had been lecturing and set it off. Five of her classmates had been badly injured, and the girl herself had had her left hand completely blown off.

Iruka thought the pain of loosing a hand was bad enough, but Sandaime had been adamant.

Iruka cried for a month over it.

This time, however. Iruka held no compunctions against using his right as an Academy instructor to expel a student, especially one who would pin a girl four years younger than him to the ground and beat her up because she'd been looking at him.

Iruka was halfway through his third bowl, and three-fourths of the way through his lunch break when a hand fell heavily onto his shoulder and he was wrenched backward out of his seat.

A large fist sailed cleanly past his face, and he could smell sweat, dirt and that tang of iron that clung to the fingers of someone who spent most of their time handling kunai, feel the heat of the large man's fist as it seemed to travel past in slow motion.

And then time sped up again, Iruka was in the air, then on the ground, skidding and tumbling backward into a crouch, weapon drawn, eyes wide and alert. And that large fist crunched through the bar, shattering his bowl, noodles and broth and little chunks of pork splattering everywhere along with sharp splinters of wood and stray chopsticks.

Ayame shrieked and ducked back into the kitchen. The rest of the ramen stand patrons scattered…

—And Iruka took in the frightening sight of the man he recognized as Obotsu Kumo, Ioshi's tank-like father.

All Obotsu men were all built like gorillas. Tall and broad, their arms slightly longer than they should have been, necks thick, legs bowed and just a tad too short. They were known for their brute strength, not for their intelligence, which Iruka believed was diminished because they were so thuggish.

And then Iruka saw the smaller, seemingly dwarfed form who'd jerked him out of the path of Kumo's bolder of a fist.

Kakashi had a ramen bowl in one hand, chopsticks held in with his thumb, kunai in the other, held dangerously close to Kumo's temple. "Impressive force, I'll give you that. And your chakra control is pretty good, but you breathe like an ox… Heard you coming half a block away."

Iruka hadn't even realized the jounin had been in the stall. Let alone sitting so terribly close to him.

Kumo roared, jerked his fist out of the hole he'd made in the counter, and took a swing at Kakashi.

He ducked, his hair wafting with the wind created by the giant of a man's fist.

A kick—

Kakashi rolled deftly backward, twisting his arm and keeping his still full bowl upright without spilling a drop, coming up into a crouch beside Iruka. He sighed disappointedly and passed the bowl to the chuunin. "Hold that."

Iruka spluttered and watched as Kakashi started forward again, dodging and evading the brute's seemingly clumsy punches and kicks as if he weren't even solid.

Kumo's face was becoming redder and redder by the second, and with a growl, he clapped his meaty palms together and swung—

Ten ANBU poofed out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground. There was a breathless grunt, a crash of wood and shattering porcelain and Iruka blinked rapidly, trying to see through the cloud of smoke and fluttering leaves.

Four ANBU slid out of the fog, securing the perimeter, speaking in eerily distorted voices through the little mechanical changers in their masks

Kumo snorted and bellowed like a tethered bull and another ANBU materialized out of the thick fog, gently, but firmly pushing Kakashi, who looked pale, and rather disgusted.

"Maaaaa, Hound-san, you're no fun!"

"I'm sorry, Hatake-san, but this just became ANBU business."

Kakahsi tilted his head appraising the young man with his lower lip poking out his mask; "If I hadn't been retired, I'd still have that mask you know."

The young man chuckled, his voice sounding strange and monotone through it. "Then I thank you for so gracefully passing it on to me, Hatake-san. I have quite a legacy to live up to… But that still doesn't change anything."

"Spoil-sport." Kakahsi slumped away, right hand tight on his left elbow. Then he quickly turned and said in a loud voice; "Give him a jab in the kidney for me, Yuushino!"

From somewhere in the cloud of jutsu controlled fog a disguised voice chuckled and called out; "Will do!"

And with a loud pop, the smoke, the ANBU and Kumo disappeared, leaving the bar… Clean, repaired and spotless.

Ayame crept silently from the kitchen, pale and trembling, pushing loose tendrils of hair off her face in a half panicked sort of way. Her father patted her shoulder. "See, I told you they would handle it."

She nodded, released a sigh and gave herself a little shake, setting back to work.

Iruka blinked stupidly and glanced around, noticing Kakashi was walking slowly down the street away from him, still gripping his elbow.

"Eh, K-Kakashi-sensei…"

He flinched, and slowly turned, cocking his eyebrow.

Iruka motioned shakily to the bowl he was still holding.

"Ah… I—I've suddenly lost my appetite."

Iruka blinked again and watched him take a few more steps farther away, then jumped forward, sat the bowl on the counter, bowed respectfully; "Please forgive me… I'll—I'll be right back."

And he took off at a sprint down the street, circling to walk backward facing Kakashi.

"A-are you alright? What happened? T-thank you for pulling me away, he would have punched my head clean from my shoulders!" Then with a snarl Iruka pounded his fist into his own palm. "Violent tempers must run in their genetics! Just today Ioshi pinned Kiku to the ground and was punching her! Someone should have a talk with the—"

"You and Naruto both have a tendency to ramble when you're excited… Did you know that?"

Iruka fell silent, but didn't stop walking, using a small bit of his chakra to make sure he wasn't going to run into anything. "Ah…" Suddenly self conscious he scratched at his nose, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. "Ano… T-thank you for not allowing me to be pulverized, Kakashi-sensei."

"Don't mention it." He tried to push past the chuunin, the muscles in his jaw standing out beneath the dark fabric of his mask, but Iruka kept after him. Turning the right way around and following at a quickened pace.

Realizing the chuunin wasn't going to let it go at that, Kakashi spoke again, hoping to appease him. "Naruto would never forgive me if I sat idly by and allowed you to become a greasy spot between the fingers of an enraged Obotsu."

"Ah, yes… He has taken a liking to me I suppose… He really is a good kid when you get to know him." Iruka chuckled brightly, scratching his neck. "There must be some way I can repay you. Did you have a tab, I could pay it for you if you did."

"No… Naruto gave me a voucher this morning for my birthday." He sighed, seeming to deflate, as if slightly annoyed by it all.

"Your birthday is today?"

"Unfortunately."

And Iruka clapped him on the back. "Happy Birthday then!"

Kakashi hissed, stepping quickly away from him, curling inward.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine-fine… Yes… Thank you." He flipped two fingers where they were still curled around his elbow. "You're going to be late, Iruka-sensei."

A jolt went through him. Arms drawing up, legs bending, and with a cry he leapt upward onto the nearest roof and started running full tilt toward the academy.

"SHIT!"

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_Yuushino is just a random ANBU. And Tenzou was with them, he repaired the bar._

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	9. Chapter 9

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_(This one takes place very early in their relationship… Kakashi is 29, Iruka is 28, It's mid-October.)_

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**Chapter 9; Cecelia**

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_Cecilia, You're breaking my heart. You're shaking my confidence daily  
Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees. I'm begging you please to come home  
Awww... Cecilia, you're breaking my heart. You're shaking my confidence daily  
Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees. I'm begging you please to come home  
Come on home_

_Making love in the afternoon with Cecilia. Up in my bedroom  
(makin' love) I got up to wash my face, When I come back to bed  
Someone's taken my place_

_Cecilia, you're breaking my heart. You're shaking my confidence daily  
Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees. I'm begging you please to come home  
Come on home_

_Jubilation. She loves me again  
I fall on the floor and I'm laughing  
Jubilation. She loves me again  
I fall on the floor and I'm laughing_

_Paul Simon—Art Garfunkle_

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Music was a hobby of Iruka's.

He was rather fond of it, and considered himself a grand master of all things lyrical.

Kakashi, on the other hand… Bless him, had a copy of the Icha Icha Movie Soundtrack, and that was it. And the CD wasn't even open. The cellophane wrapper still neatly covering it.

_'It's a Collector's Edition!'_ he would say defensively, pointing to the little gold sticker on it.

So, after three dates, and an overnight stay with Kakashi in the hospital since the older man had shown up at Iruka's door fresh from a mission with a shuriken in his back, just to tell him that he was home and not dead, Iruka sat Kakashi down on the rug in his living room, pulled out the large milk crates from his closet, his father's old record player… And introduced the jounin to all that was truly beautiful and musical.

Kakashi sat there, cross legged, his left arm in a sling, still smelling heavily of hospital antiseptic, scratching absently at his unshaven chin through his mask while Iruka explained the differences in style and technique between each song, album and artist.

He didn't expect Kakashi to take to it in only one evening. The silver haired man could be terribly stubborn when it came to lectures and actually paying attention to something he had never deemed 'worthy' of his attention.

But by the seven that evening Iruka noticed Kakashi had started drumming his fingers on his knee, his lower jaw thrust forward, pushing his chin against his mask, head bobbing slightly when he thought Iruka wasn't looking.

He seemed to like Iruka's father's old blues and jazz records, and oddly he thought it was fitting.

Kakashi was like cool, smooth jazz… Slick and simple, but darkly complicated underneath.

Kakashi also reminded him of expensive black coffee. Slightly bitter, but with sweet undertones and a slightly caramel scent that made your chest rumble in satisfaction.

Oh, yes, Iruka decided, he had it bad.

Kakashi found the beat to each song easily, toes flexing under his knees subconsciously in tune with it, and Iruka found he couldn't stop smiling, as he methodically went through each record in his first two crates. Explaining the history behind each artist, band and group.

He'd decided to start Kakashi off on simple stuff. Blues and Jazz, some of that folky music with the excellent harmony his mother had liked. Music that rolled easily, with lyrics almost everyone could relate to.

It wasn't until the next day when he overheard Kakashi humming and softly singing to himself, that Iruka realized he'd done something important.

He'd made an impact on Kakashi.

That night he invited Kakashi over again, tempting him with takeout and more music.

That was the first time he'd ever seen Kakashi smile genuinely through his mask. The first time he'd ever heard him give an honest chuckle.

All because of a lyric from one of his mother's old records.

"_Making love in the afternoon with Cecilia. Up in my bedroom  
(makin' love) I got up to wash my face, When I come back to bed  
Someone's taken my place…"_

It was almost half-past ten that night before Iruka realized he'd been sitting there with Kakashi for almost five hours, just listening to music and poking at now cold, rather dry noodles.

"Do you have any other hobbies, Iruka-sensei? I think it's fair to say, that this one has piqued my interest."

Iruka blinked and propped his ear nervously on his hand, his cheeks heating slightly. "Well, I can cook."

"Really?"

"Ah, yes…" Iruka wanted to fidget in a shy manner, but settled on scratching the back of his head and looking toward the record player. "Sandaime-sama's wife, while she was still alive, she taught me quite a lot."

"Well, you'll have to teach me about that too, ne?" He gave a little nervous laugh. "I can cook well enough to keep myself from dying of malnutrition, but I've given up on it ever tasting better than wet cardboard."

Iruka laughed. Deep and full, then leaned his forehead against Kakashi's shoulder smiling.

A few seconds later, there was the warm press of a masked cheek against the crown of his head, and the record player whirred to a stop.

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	10. Chapter 10

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_((Set shortly before Iruka's 29th birthday. Contains non-explicit yaoi! You have been warned!))_

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**Chapter 10; Yes, Sensei**

Kakashi was quick.

Not just physically, but also intellectually fast. Quick to snap a comeback, quick to make scathing comments… Quick to think up a lie.

And yet it took him a grand total of seven months to come to the conclusion that Umino Iruka was the human equivalent of a pit-bull puppy.

When they'd first started their relationship, Iruka was a bundle of energy whereas Kakashi was a bundle of nerves. Iruka was bright smiles and perpetually eager to show Kakashi new things, and share his worldviews, while Kakashi sucked it all up like a sponge and said very little about himself.

Iruka's apartment was meticulously kept, despite the fact it had a homey, chaotic feel to it.

Kakashi had offered to help Iruka clean once, in the early months of their relationship, and wound up standing timidly near the window with his hands tucked under his chin because Iruka had practically pounced on him every time he'd tried to organize the papers on the chuunin's desk, or put his books on the shelf. Or organize the dishes in the cabinets.

Kakashi pictured a puppy, a lanky pit-bull puppy with sharp pointy little teeth and wide wild eyes throwing itself ferociously atop a hand that had strayed too close to its favorite chewing toy, or a foot that got too near its bowl of kibble.

It wasn't that Iruka was trying to be— Kakashi thought the word was 'territorial', Iruka explained in a huff, a vein throbbing on his forehead, that he had a specific way of organizing things so that he could find them when he needed to, and didn't have to go searching for them and making a big mess.

Kakashi watched him with Sharingan wide as he'd separated all his paperwork into neat stacks.

School papers, personal papers, scribble papers, crumpled papers, wrinkled papers, blank papers, papers that were strange colors, or had cute little cartoons on them. News papers, tissue papers, rice papers, tracing papers, wax papers, papers that had delicate little lacy designs cut into the edges… Papers Kakashi didn't even know the name of. All of them stacked and placed in an intricate spider web pattern around the chuunin where he sat in the middle of his living room floor.

Then he would take each neat stack and go through it, alphabetize the pages, stack them all neatly, alphabetize each stack and then put them in folders, and then into his desk drawers.

It was dizzying. But, Kakashi saw the logic behind it… At least he pretended to anyway.

And then there were the bins.

Iruka's apartment was a two-bedroom place, and one bedroom was filled entirely with plastic milk crates filled with all manner of strange and odd things.

Kakashi had decided to clean in there about a month after that, just to see if there was a bed in there like Iruka had said there was. And had used the Umino Patented Sorting Technique he'd copied on each bin… Only to be pounced again when Iruka stepped into the room and saw what he was doing.

That was the day Kakashi noticed that not only did Iruka pounce like a pit-bull puppy… He foamed at the mouth and snarled, and fought like one too.

Iruka had leapt. That was the only way to describe it, a graceful nose first dive over the stacks of now empty bins, and tackled Kakashi. Scattering the papers and trinkets he'd been sorting.

They'd wrestled about for a bit, Kakashi spluttering and asking repeatedly what he'd done wrong, heart hammering in his chest.

And Iruka had snarled where he was leaning, on hands and knees, scooping armfuls of papers and pages and letters toward himself like a threatened beast.

That was also the day Kakashi realized sometimes, when Iruka was very emotional, he said things that he hadn't meant to say.

Kakashi had left quickly after that, and taken a month long high ranking mission thinking Iruka no longer wanted him around, and resigned himself as a bachelor again. Feeling cold and hurt the whole time he'd been hunting the rogues.

He'd returned from that mission a little worse for wear, ten pounds lighter and sporting new scars.

He hadn't even made it through the gate before he found himself yanked into an alleyway and pinned against a wall. Broad tanned hands running all over him searching for wounds, a voice chanting apologies in his ear, tears warm and wet on his neck.

It rained that night, and Kakashi found himself in Iruka's bedroom for the first time. Found himself being gently stripped of his uniform, lips and teeth kissing and scraping against his skin, dark hair tickling places he'd never let anyone see.

Iruka's eyes were large and dark in the dim light, the sharp, thin stubble on his cheeks adding the illusion of shadow to his face as he'd asked in a whisper why Kakashi was shaking.

He lied. Said he was cold, and Iruka had pulled the blankets over them grinning. A crooked impish grin that made his eyes sparkle, and dimples form on his cheeks, the very tips of his teeth shining white in the false shadow on his face.

Three firsts happened that night.

_The first time Kakashi ever allowed anyone to pull his mask off without a medical excuse._

Iruka caught the lower edge of the dark fabric with his teeth and tugged gently, hearing the fabric rasp against sparse little prickly hairs on Kakashi's chin, his head tilting inquisitively. Waiting for the jounin to protest.

Kakashi thought that if Iruka had had a tail it would have been wagging erratically when he didn't say no.

The chuunin traced the pad of his fingers across Kakashi nose and lips, gently. Oh, so gently.

_The first time Kakashi had ever felt another man's lips against his own._

It was so much different than he'd imagined it would be. It was a different kind of soft from a woman's mouth. A cooler, darker taste. Sharper insistence of a tongue against his own. A different kind of feeling making his stomach buzz and tighten… A different reason behind his shaking now.

It was a strange sensation the final first, Iruka's legs, lightly dusted with hair, tangled with his own, the warmth and firm pressure against him so unlike the warm yield of a female bedmate.

It was so different. Frightening in its potential to familiarity… But Iruka hadn't slid between his shaking legs. Hadn't put a forceful hand on his throat. Hadn't bitten or scratched…

Iruka kissed, touched, and suckled. Gentle and yet powerful, guiding and being lead.

Kakashi found himself falling in love with the glide of another man's body against him. The scrape and crinkle of dark fuzz trailing below the chuunin's navel catching lightly against the downy white below his own.

Kakashi found himself whining and clutching, eyes heavily lidded, mouth open and gasping, pulling Iruka down by the shoulders so the firmness was trapped between their stomachs and the pressure seemed unforgiving as they'd rocked together, newly slicked and breath mingling into a single inhale, and a single exhale. Sweat mixing, scents melding, body and soul seeming to merge with every movement and twitch and beat of their hearts.

_The first time he made love with another man._

The next morning Kakashi woke with Iruka's nose buried in the nape of his neck, a well muscled, heavy arm across his chest, loosely holding his left hand, a thick leg over his bare hips, the sheets twisted around them. Soft grunting, newborn puppy like noises escaping the academy teacher while he dreamed.

Kakashi lay there utterly still with his body relaxed, and for the first time in more than two decades… enveloped in a warm, thick blanket of pure, complete… _peace._

Relief washed over him, relief and at the same time an overwhelming sense of trepidation.

What if something happened to Iruka? What if someone hurt him just to get to Kakashi?

_What if he's killed because of me?_

He closed his eyes tightly, vision blurring, and huddled himself back into the sleeping chuunin's embrace.

_I won't let that happen… I'll work harder… I'll be better, more vigilant… I'll protect him._

He didn't even notice anything was amiss until he felt Iruka's body tense behind him. Felt that arm draped possessively across his torso tighten, fingers curling and hesitantly touching a smear of wetness on his cheek.

"'Kashi?"

He snaked his right hand across his chest and tangled his fingers in the sheet, childishly drawing it over his face, mumbling a quick something about bad dreams, discreetly scrubbing his cheeks dry.

"Are you alright now?" Iruka planted a few open mouthed, laving, puppy like kisses to his shoulder and neck.

"Yes, Sensei…"

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	11. Chapter 11

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_Sorry for the wait... Again. I had surgery and am only now getting around to picking up where I left off before. ANYWAY, I hope these chapters make up for my absence._

_AGES: Naruto 21, Iruka 35, Kakashi 35. It is mid summer, nearing Kakashi's birthday._

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**Chapter 11; Suicide King**

It wasn't often that Iruka got missions outside of the village.

It wasn't entirely unheard of, but it wasn't a terribly common occurrence either.

Kakashi had been gone for a week on his own mission, and wasn't due back for another five days, so Iruka didn't think anything of accepting the scroll from Tsunade. Bowing politely, and vowing to return in short order.

The mission was simple. A rather unasuming 'B' rank mission escorting the dignitary of a small country to the north home from a peace conference after his previous escort, a Suna-nin, had come down with a nasty case of appendicitis and been hospitalized.

Relations with Suna had improved exponentially since the end of the war, and it wasn't uncommon to see a nin from each country enjoying lunch or a pot of tea together in either village.

The Kazekage even spent two months out of the year 'on Reconnaissance' in Konoha.

Iruka thought it was a rather formal excuse for Gaara and Naruto to spend a few weeks wreaking havoc on the unpopulated Konoha countryside during their little 'sparing' sessions.

But, then again, Iruka also thought it was good to see the deadeyed little boy he remembered from the fateful chuunin exams so many years ago, smiling, laughing, and acting like a teenager (despite the fact they were both now into their twenties.)

There were five years of leeway Iruka allowed when it came to the two of them, although, sometimes he felt like bashing their heads together and telling them to act their ages.

As Iruka was packing to leave, there was a knock on his door. He lifted his head and watched as the door opened, his throat constricting when he recognized the two young men he'd just been thinking about. Covered in dirt and mud and stray leaves.

Gaara was supporting Naruto with an arm around his waist, and the blonde's face was ash white, eyes wide but unseeing.

Immediately, Iruka thought the worst. "What happened!" He darted forward, momentarily forgetting his mission and guided Naruto to a chair.

Naruto muttered something, but all Iruka understood from it was one word.

"…Dead."

Numbness swept over him. And in his mind's eye, Iruka saw a detailed, brilliant image of Kakashi, waving nonchalantly over his shoulder as he walked through the gates, saying he would be back in twelve days, and he'd bring Iruka that imported tea he liked.

Cold weight filled his stomach and Iruka rocked back onto his heels, a hand going to his mouth in disbelief.

_Dead?_

"It was terribly bloody, Iruka-sensei." Gaara said nodding quickly, his browless forehead wrinkled up in surprise. "I think those poor gennin will be scarred for life!"

Iruka felt the world spin, and he dropped back on his behind in the floor with his hands over his mouth, mind filled with horrid violent images of Kakashi mangled and slowly dying.

He pictured the lives, from that moment forward, of those poor gennin who'd witnessed it. Pictured his own life without the man he loved, and it just didn't seem possible, too ugly and empty and—

_Dead…_

Iruka groaned, hands tangled in his hair, rocking back and forth in disbelief, horror and—

"T-that p-poor ch-chicken!" Naruto sobbed face buried in his hands.

Iruka felt every muscle in his body, from his feet upward roll and tighten like stone. His mind suddenly gone blank and white.

Slowly, he peeked out from between his fingers, eyebrows up, unblinking.

"Chicken?"

Gaara nodded vigorously, "Naruto and I were showing a few gennin kunai throwing techniques, and one of the blades I deflected went wild and hit a chicken… It was terribly pathetic."

"P-p-poooooooooooor chiiiiiiiickeeeeeeennnnnnn!" Naruto practically oozed into the floor and lie there on his face sobbing into the rug.

Iruka remained motionless, seeming to be eerily calm and relieved in Gaara's eyes, the teacher's brown orbs locked on the back of the stricken blonde's head, hands still cupped over his face.

"Naruto…"

"Y-yes, s-s-sensei?" He hiccupped, lifting his face from the carpet eyes large, bloodshot and wet.

"I'm going to count to three…"

Two nations away Kakashi was sitting in a tree with one of his teammates paging idly through a novel while they waited for their scout to return.

Everything was quiet.

"Hey, Kakashi-san."

He grunted, not looking up from his book.

"I bet my girlfriend is fixing dinner right now… It's probably sweet rice and pork with sesame sauce… That's her favorite. She must have made a cake too. She always has cake waiting for me when I return…" The young man sighed in an utterly smitten way, "She'll have a piece with her tea. Then she'll probably go to bed and curl up on my pillow to sleep and dream about me."

Kakashi grunted noncommittally.

"Hey, Kakashi-san…"

Another wordless noise.

"What do you think your lover's doing right about now? Waiting by the window for you to return?"

Kakashi glanced up, staring outward at the trees, released a sudden almost insane peal of laughter, and returned to his book without batting an eye.

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_I don't even know… XD_

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	12. Chapter 12

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_((Part 3 of the short fic 'Caring'… Ages stand thus; Naruto 17, Iruka 30, Kakashi 30. It is early June.))_

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**Chapter 12; Caring— Part 3**

Despite what so many thought, Iruka was not a prude.

He enjoyed rather lascivious behaviors on occasion, gossiping with fellow chuunin, as well as a few jounin (mainly Kakashi and Genma) as well as meddling in others personal lives. And, as such, he had known, for quite a while now, that there were three people in Konoha who had rather large crushes on Naruto.

The first was a chuunin, about three years older than Naruto, named Bo.

Bo was not his real name. Bo was his nickname, stemming from his choice of weapons.

A large, thick weighted redwood staff, that Iruka had been unfortunate enough to walk in on him once, years ago, PLAYING with.

Other than that one incident, (which Iruka overlooked, because he knew how frustrating it was to NEED, and not have anyone to ease it, knew that sometimes, you just had to do it or you would just go mad,) Iruka thought Bo was a nice kid.

So, he approached Bo on Wednesday evening in the mission room, smiling as he handed in a report for a commissioned tutoring session with two pregennin whose parents didn't think had paid enough attention to Iruka during the school year before, and felt their new teacher wasn't giving them the discipline and structure they needed.

Iruka liked seeing the twin boys' faces when he got to show them that the 'stupid-sensei' they'd practically ignored the year before, was not stupid, nor was he weak.

Iruka was so impressed with the results he wanted to use the lesson plan he'd constructed for the two boys on his students this year, because in a single week he'd seen a massive improvement in focus and execution that he'd not experienced before.

"Hello, Umino-san… Are you sure you're not on the wrong side of the desk?" Bo smiled at him.

Iruka made small talk with him while the younger man read over his report, and subsequently read over the form asking for an amendment to his school year curriculum.

Forms stamped and slid into their proper folders and boxes, Iruka set his jaw and leaned forward, hands propped on the counter, voice lowered.

"Bo, you know Naruto, correct?"

The young man's face heated. "Yes, what of him?"

Iruka looked at the clock, "Why not take your ten minutes and come have a chat with me."

Bo nodded again and called over his shoulder that he was going to stretch his legs and get some coffee.

Vaulting over the counter, he shoved his hands into his vest pockets and followed Iruka from the room.

There was a small balcony just down the hall from the mission room, facing away from the village proper, and angled so that the only view one had was a sheer rock face and a small courtyard behind the building, that was most usually overrun with squirrels and birds that liked to swoop down and steal your lunch.

Out here, on this balcony, Iruka explained to Bo what had happened, and what he was intending to do. And last, why he needed Bo's help.

Bo was a social person, also he was a kind person who couldn't hold a grudge even if you put it in a bucket and taped it to his hand.

"He's never been on a date before, never had a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, and I thought of you, because you're a rather logical person."

Bo nodded, yawning; "You also know that I'm not going to hold it against him if he makes an ass of himself." Bo smiled and a thin scar stretched pale on his cheek.

"Exactly." Iruka smiled himself, and leaned over the railing, watching a few people mill about in the courtyard fighting off squirrels and birds.

Somewhere in the background of village noise, he could have sworn he heard Gai-sensei shout something about the power of youth and intuition, but it was all rather normal, so he paid little attention to it.

"I also know that you're not going to force him to do something he's not ready to do." Iruka said, almost in a whisper.

Bo glanced from the corner of his eye at the older chuunin.

"I…" Iruka paused, took a deep breath, and started again. "I don't want Naruto to be hurt, or inadvertently hurt someone else… He's had enough of that in his lifetime, and I just want him to feel normal and un-pressured with this. He's done nothing but train and fight since he was a small child, he doesn't know how to interact with someone on a personal level as equals."

Bo nodded. "He's a smart guy, Iruka-san."

Iruka tried not to laugh.

Bo chuckled; "You know what I meant. For his age, he is very wise… But wisdom and energy have little to do with social skills."

"Exactly."

Bo was silent for a few minutes, picking lint from his pockets as he leaned his back against the rail. Tilting his head and shielding his eyes, staring up the front of the Hokage Monument and giggling at a few bird's nests he could see built in nostrils.

"Okay, Iruka-san… I'll help you… But I'm not promising I won't give him a crash course in casual social etiquette."

"Just don't scare him off…"

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Two days later, Iruka cornered Naruto at the ramen stand, grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him halfway across town.

By the time they arrived, Naruto had twisted and writhed until his ear was swollen and red, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

He pouted comically when Iruka shoved him forward into the shop and instructed him to pick out an outfit to wear on their date that night.

"But, I don't need new clothes, Iruka-sensei… I just bought some four months ago!"

"Yes, and look at your feet."

Naruto glanced down and winced at the considerable gap between the ends of his trousers and the wrappings on his legs.

And then, to drive his point home, Iruka grasped the young man by the shoulders, lifted his arms out to his sides and tugged on the hem of his jacket as it rode halfway up his stomach, and dusted his cuffs emphasizing the fact his sleeves were also too short.

"W-when did you get so short, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto's eyes widened and he put a hand on his own head, leveling it out toward Iruka's eyebrows.

"Still think you don't need new clothes?"

Blushing, Naruto hung his head.

Taking into account his limited budget, since most of his paychecks went to weapons, food and the like, Iruka steered him toward the back of the shop, and the discount racks, then fussed, growled and threatened when Naruto just plucked random items off the racks and tossed them over his arm.

"W-what's wrong with this one?" Naruto sounded on the verge of tears, holding up a brightly floral pattered shirt with lace on the cuffs. "It's fancy."

Iruka slapped a hand to his forehead, cocked his hip outward and tapped his foot on the ground while he tried to reign in his emotions. "Naruto… I don't think even Gai-sensei would wear that."

Naruto blinked, and actually took a moment to look at the shirt, "You're right… It reminds me of something out of Jiraiya-sensei's books… Maybe, Kakashi-sensei would like it!"

Iruka felt something in his head pop, and he thudded his fist against the blonde's head.

Two head thumpings later, Naruto had disappeared into the fitting rooms and Iruka was angrily searching through the racks, the hangers screeching against their rails as he looked for something in Naruto's size.

The blonde was not quite his height, and only slightly smaller around than he was, so when in question, Iruka held trousers up to his own waist.

"Iruka-sensei?"

Glancing up, his blood running cold, Iruka found himself face-to-face with Sakura over the top of the rack.

She was smiling nervously, her eyes wide and green. She had her hair pulled back into a short French Braid and over her shoulder Iruka could see Ino and a rather flushed looking Tenten.

Ino was pulling things off racks and holding them up to the shorter young woman… Neither of them looked happy… In fact, Ino looked a tad panicked.

"Iruka-sensei… Can you give us a hand, please?" Sakura was speaking softly, which was somehow frightening, but Iruka nodded, tossed the stack of trousers and shirts over the door into Naruto's stall, and followed the pink-haired young woman to the other side of the store.

It was only as he was turning the corner around a rack of feminine cut vests, that Iruka noticed what was amiss.

Many many years ago, when he was being fostered by Sandaime-sama and his wife, Iruka had discovered he had a gift. A subtle and seemingly wonderful gift to be able to look at someone, and just KNOW—

Iruka had only to look at Tenten's left wrist and his hands slapped up over his mouth, words and breath hissing out like an angry cat.

"You're _PREGNANT!"_

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_Iruka has a lot on his plate in this little ficlett :P_

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	13. Chapter 13

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_AGES; Iruka 47. Kakashi 47. Takes place about four months into Kakashi's retirement on a late Friday night._

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**Chapter 13; That Hatake Boy**

Kakashi had been an active shinobi since he was four years old.

He'd been training since he was old enough to say his own name without switching the 'T' and the 'K' in Hatake. So, it shouldn't have been any surprise that he didn't understand how children acted or their motives for acting such a way.

He'd never had time as a child to learn to appreciate the subtle joys of music, or Saturday morning cartoons like Iruka had. He'd never been to a festival just to enjoy the sights, smells and sounds.

Kakashi and Naruto were terribly similar when it came to this.

Neither of them had ever been allowed to just be kids.

That innocent, muddy, scabby knees time of their lives had been stolen by their station, and responsibilities thrust upon them before birth.

They had been born into a world of Ninjas… There was no time to play.

The first time Kakashi had been to see a movie was when he was eleven. Minato-sensei had taken him and his team to a theatre in a Wave village for a Triple-Feature as a reward for completing their first A-class mission and Kakashi had been on the edge of his seat the whole time staring in awe and horror as Star Ships and Base Stars exploded and zoomed across the screen and a seven-foot hairy creature bellowed and growled like Sensei had when he'd accidentally kicked him in the crotch during training one afternoon. He was utterly entranced for the whole day, even when Rin had fallen asleep and slumped against Obito's shoulder and the other boy had gone rigid in his seat, staring at her for the entirety of the third movie.

The only one who'd been as enthralled as Kakashi had been was Minato-sensei, and when it came to such things, he was a bit of an eccentric.

Kakashi had been even more excited when Iruka had popped that cassette into his VCR and those running gold letters had popped onto the screen. He'd found himself talking in a high whisper, his hand tightly gripping Iruka's arm, spilling forgotten secrets he'd never told anyone. Telling him how this had been the first movie he'd ever seen, and afterward he'd imagine himself as the main characters during training, and had been trying to make a Lightsaber when he'd created his Lightning Edge jutsu.

Iruka stared at him for a long time with a contemplative look on his face. A strange cross between that little loving grin and the sad expression he got in his eyes sometimes when he thought too much about how close he'd come to loosing Kakashi.

As the film played, Iruka watched him, feeling a strange stirring of emotion in his chest every time Kakashi flinched or bobbed his head as if dodging laser beams. Smiling a little more when Kakashi's fingers sank into his knees, or near the final act when he'd drawn his feet onto the couch, toes curling into the upholstery.

It was like watching a little kid, all wide round eyes and tangible glee. It was like falling in love all over again.

Kakashi didn't have many happy memories of his childhood, and those he did have were tainted by sorrow.

"Sensei liked things like this." Kakashi said from the corner of his mouth, dodging another laser beam. "He was always trying to get me to play around with Obito, or some other kid, making up stupid games disguised as training… I don't think he understood that it wasn't that I didn't want to, it was that I couldn't interact with them like I should have been able to because I didn't know how. It all seemed strange and stupid to me." He paused, his mind focused on the movie, not what he was saying. "I was always younger than the others in my class, so nobody wanted to play with me because of that, and the kids my age didn't like me because I was smarter than they were, and I didn't like how simple their games were, there was no challenge… They'd call me names or throw rocks and dirt at me." His fingers tightened on his knees, eyes becoming slightly unfocused. "I may have been smarter, but I was still a kid— It still hurt." Something blew up on screen, stealing his attention and effectively changing the subject. "I was six when I graduated, and I don't care what they say, they shouldn't have let me…"

Iruka's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"They shoved me right into training and completely overlooked my civilian schooling…" He chuckled when two of the enemy fighter ships collided and blew up, "They all assumed that since I was a 'genius' that I just knew stuff… Boy they were wrong."

Iruka shifted, straightening his legs out, feet propped on the couch, toes prodding Kakashi's hip. "What do you mean?"

Glancing at him, Kakashi smiled sadly, those thin lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes crinkling; "My civilian education stopped after the second grade." He turned back to the movie. "By the time Sensei found out, I was twelve… I couldn't read anything more than a report form, I couldn't do anything but adding and subtracting, all I knew was battle tactics and training strategies, and I didn't see the need to know anything else." He paused, biting back a squawk of victory as the Death Star blew up, and began chattering quickly without really hearing what he was saying, or registering it; "I was a weapon, not a person. And part of me thinks that's exactly what they wanted."

Iruka just gazed at him mournfully and chose to say nothing.

"You want to know why I read Icha-Icha?" Kakashi turned, staring right into Iruka's eyes with his own, the Sharingan dull and spinning slowly, lazily, as close to deactivated as it ever got.

Iruka was silent.

Kakashi looked away, picking at imagined fuzz between his toes. His shoulders slouched, head turned slightly to the side in an innocent, but wary manner. "I was entering puberty by the time Sensei found out I couldn't read… So, to get me interested in it, to get me to actually WANT to read, he threw 'Tactics' at me." He smiled sadly, tilting his head in the other direction.

It was silent for a few minutes save the whirr of the VCR rewinding the tape.

"He was really unconventional Minato-sensei… But… I think that's what I needed, some eccentric, Sci-fi loving dork with yellow hair and more energy than should be legal." He didn't look up, just chuckled in a nostalgic way and rested his chin on his knees. "Everyone talks about how ahead of his time he was, how great and innovative… Sometimes I wonder if who they remember and who he _was_ aren't two different people." He paused and rubbed his chin on his knee before he continued. "When we first met he was very energetic, loud and almost pompous. Sandaime-sama put us together hoping that I would calm him down, mellow him out, I think… But he ended up changing me instead—

"After that mission in Wave… He changed. I think he realized the world wasn't a happy-rainbows-and-jelly-doughnuts kind of place like he'd thought it was. Minato-sensei was quiet most of the time after that. He taught me a lot about what life COULD be if we worked hard enough. Taught me that nobody is going to give me anything but trouble, and if I want something for myself, I have to get over myself and go for it. I have to work for it. I have to be willing to protect it with everything I have, and trust those around me to do the same."

"Trust is a big issue with you."

Kakashi nodded and Iruka could see weight on his shoulders, could see ethereal hooks in his soul, slowly tearing through.

"Kashi?"

"Hmm?"

"I think he'd be proud of you."

Kakashi was silent for a long moment, teeth catching a wrinkle in his pants and gnawing silently at it, before with a sigh, he flopped over, settling himself on his side between Iruka's legs, wrapping his arm around his thigh and nuzzling it while Iruka chuckled and combed fingers through his hair.

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_(This chapter is just kind of musings on Minato-sensei, and the relationship I think he and Kakashi had.)  
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	14. Chapter 14

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**Chapter 14; Meetings—Part 2**

In the twenty-three odd years since he'd been made a gennin, Kakashi hadn't had more than a single day to his own devices.

So, he wasn't really sure what to do with himself now that Team Seven was disbanded. Slinking through the shadows as the sun sat, nursing a hyper extension in his elbow, complements of one Obotsu Kumo.

Kumo and Kakashi had graduated the academy the same year, the brute of a man a good seven years Kakashi's senior.

Kakashi did have to agree with Iruka on the point that uncontrollable rages and violence were genetic in the Obotsu family, he'd personally seen that man, at twenty-two, pick up and throw the then sixteen-year-old Gai as if he weighed nothing at all.

It wouldn't have been so impressive if Gai hadn't been completely laden with his impossible weights at the time.

And as if the man could sense someone even thinking his name, a thick, heavy arm dropped around Kakashi's shoulders.

"Ah, there you are!" He said in a terribly calm voice. He smiled blindingly and pulled Kakashi into an eerily loose hug; "Happy birthday!"

"Who are you and what have you done with Gai."

"Ah," He gave Kakahsi's head a friendly push to the side and crossed his arms over his chest; "My students don't believe it's possible for me to be anything but enthusiastic. And I must admit it is difficult, but entirely possible."

"You made a bet with your students?"

"Twenty-four-hours of Zen, I think they called it. And if I'm able to manage it, they've each agreed to a concession."

"A concession?"

"Yes. Tenten said she would dress as a lady, makeup, hair down and everything. Neji said he would himself prepare a dinner for us, and Lee said he would run five-hundred laps in a dress." Gai put a finger to his chin, eyes asparkle; "I thought it was rather ingenious of him actually."

Kakashi thought that it was suspicious, but didn't say anything, as strange and unsettling as a calm Gai was. He wondered if maybe the Gods weren't smiling down on him.

"I understand that you saved a particular chuunin academy teacher from complete obliteration via Obotsu today."

Then again, maybe this wasn't the blessing it was disguised as.

"You know the Obotsu are rather… _Brutal_ in their thirst for revenge, correct?"

And suddenly Kakashi knew why Gai was being quiet. Knew why the other man still had his arm around Kakashi's shoulders.

"You didn't make a bet with your students… Did you."

Gai just smiled brightly, eyes straight forward.

"We're being followed, aren't we."

"There's twelve of them."

"Ah."

Kakashi twisted his head slightly to the left and made as to scratch his forehead, pushing the edge of his hitae ate up, just enough to peek from beneath it over his shoulder, and in the dimming autumn light, he could see the elongated shadows of at least half a dozen large men.

With an inward sigh, Kakashi faced forward and straightened his back, "Well then… How are we going to remedy this problem?"

Gai just kept smiling; "WE, aren't… I don't have to be a medic to know you're injured. Your shoulder is tense, and I can smell the ointment you used."

Kakashi opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment he felt Gai's aura darkening, and decided to remain silent.

A pale flicker to his right caught his attention, and Kakashi could just barely make out the curve of an ANBU's shoulder where they sat perfectly hidden against the chimney of a house half a block up. And as quickly as he'd seen it, the ANBU melted back into invisibility.

"Ah, good then!" Gai stretched his arms over his head, muscles bulging through his clothes in an almost obscene way, and with a surprisingly gentle hand on Kakashi's back, he pushed him toward a restaurant on the opposite side of the street.

Kakashi slipped in, not surprised when he turned back and saw Gai was gone.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Blinking he turned toward the booths in the corner of the room, shoulders sagging when he saw the colorful packages and Sakura's slightly sunburned face.

Kurenai and Asuma were seated across from one another, deliberate distance between their feet under the table, Iruka was waving, though not nearly as enthusiastically as Sakura, who darted from the booth and wrapped her arms tightly around Kakashi's middle, squeezing him so tightly he swore his back popped like a xylophone.

She stepped back waving a hand before her face; "Ew! You smell like horse liniment!" Promptly she was poking and prodding at him. "Iruka-sensei told us what you did! Did you pull a muscle or something?"

Her sharp little fingers jabbed painfully into his ribs and he flinched away, holding out a hand to ward her off. Training with Tsunade made her a little too touchy-feely in his opinion, the exact reason he didn't like going to doctors to begin with.

Kakashi didn't particularly like being touched you see.

"Come on, get over here… If we have to suffer through this, you have to too!" Asuma called in a half growl.

Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him, with surprising strength, toward the table and pushed him in beside Asuma.

"Asuma-sensei told me you were turning fifty, but I think he's lying." Sakura said plopping down on a chair she'd tugged over from a nearby table.

"No, I said a hundred-and-fifty." He propped his chin on his hand and eyed the 'Specialty Drinks' menu lying on the table, half hidden under a brightly wrapped package.

"Anyway, I know he's lying," Sakura said giving him a distasteful look from the corner of her eye. "Naruto came to see me at the hospital this morning and I had to remind him today was your birthday… Since I'm pretty sure he didn't get you anything, I took the liberty—"

Kurenai nudged his feet beneath the table and gave him a purposeful look, flicking her eyes toward the entrance.

Kakashi glanced to his right, noticing the two gorilla shaped thugs standing there, and he felt the hackles on the back of his neck standing on end.

Sakura kept chatting away, seemingly oblivious, but Iruka had caught the gesture too, as well as Asuma, and they were all warily watching the two Obotsu men making their way across the room.

The restaurant was quickly emptying and still Sakura was chattering away, about this or that, and other strange things fifteen-year-old girls were interested in now-a-days.

The vaguely mountain shaped shadow of the two men fell over her right as she was reaching an emotional point in her tale and blinking, Sakura fell silent, turning in her seat, eyebrows scrunched down in agitation a vein throbbing on her forehead.

Without taking her eyes off the two men, Sakura spoke; "Iruka-sensei… Is this—"

"Yes." Was all he said.

"Should I?"

"Yes, I think you should." Iruka said, shifting slightly in his seat, squishing himself backward against the wall.

Kakashi expected for Sakura to simply slip to the side and away… What actually happened though, was something quite different.

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_"Cliff Hanger, hanging from a cliff! And that's why he's called Cliff Hanger!"_

_-'Between The Lions', PBS-_

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